One of my friends said he was sexually assaulted during class.  The kid who “[sexually] assaulted” him only [smacked] him lightly on the butt.  Was my friend sexually assaulted or is he too sensitive?

Here’s the thing.

Yes, you can consider this childish “horsing around.”

Yes, in the past this kind of thing would be dismissed as youthful hijinks.

Yes, you don’t want to send any of the kids to detention or give them youthful offender status in any criminal justice system.

But the kid that was smacked lightly on the butt is also correct. Without his permission, someone touched his potential erogenous zone without permission.

Even if it’s just innocent playing around by the other kid, even if the kid that was touched will forget about it, we don’t want juvenile pranks and curiosity morphing into adult sexual assault and rape.

Let the other kid who did this know it was not appreciated and to ask ahead of time if the the thing he wants to do is okay with the other person.

Even if it’s “just” a game of wrestling.

Even if it’s “just” a playful shoulder punch.

Even if it’s “just” a hug.

Even if it’s “just” a kiss.

Yes, even kids should learn to ask … every time they want to touch someone else’s body, even in a nonsexual way.

Someone, somewhere, won’t appreciate unsolicited body contact and will very much appreciate being asked what’s acceptable ahead of time, not after the fact.